Nut-cracking anvil



-(No Model.) G. H. WILLIAMS.

' NUT CRACKING ANVIL. No. 538,717; Patented May 7, 1895.

CHARLES H. WILLIAMS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

NUT-CRACKING ANVlL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 538,717, dated May '7, 1 895. Application filetlNovemher 9 1894. Serial No. 528,330. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nut-Cracking Anvils, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in household articles, having for its object among others to provide a convenient article for family use upon which the hardest nut can be cracked with ease, of ample weight to absorb the blow, and also to provide a space or surface for riveting, straightening or heading small articles, or for other uses about the house. It forms an anvil adapted for all uses to which such 'a device is usually applied. I sometimes also provide or attach thereto a vise for such purposes as it is best adapted.

The device may be affixed to a bench, table or other support, or upon a board which may be supported upon the knees when the device is used as an anvil upon'which to crack nuts. Preferably the top part of the anvil is made narrow and the corners rounded, for two reasons, the first being to permit the unemployed part of the hand or fingers to rest against the side of the anvil for comfort and so as not to cramp the fingers or hand, and, second, in order that when an ordinary sized nut is held between the thumb and finger they will be above or overhang the rounded portion, so that in case a miss blow occurs there be little danger of injuring either member, but simply knock them out of harms way.

Other objects and advantages of the in vention will hereinafter appear and the novel features thereof will be specifically defined by the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part ofthis specification, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device with the vise attachment. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section through the same.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in both of the views.

Referring now to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates the anvil which, when designed to be secured to some suitable support, should be formed with a flanged base a through which may pass the screws or other means I) employed for securing the same to a base or support B, which in this instance is shown as of a size and form adapting the device to be held upon the knees while in use for cracking nuts thereon.

The anvil is made narrow and upon its upper face it is provided with cavities or depressions O O, the former being shallow and corrugated as seen in both of the views and is mainly intended for holding hickory nuts, walnuts and the like, while the deeper and preferably cone-shaped cavity 0' which is also corrugated, is more particularly devised for butter-nuts which are cone-shaped and sharppointed, and hence difficult to hold in an upright position to be properly cracked without a cup-shaped cavity to steady the end or point in contact while delivering a blow upon the opposite end of the nut with ahammer or other instrument.

' p The top part of the anvil is rounded as seen at D opposite and around the cavities O and O as shown best in Fig. 1. This reduces the surface around the cavities so thatvthe danger of injury to the fingers by a miss blow is obviated as will be readily understood.

The manner of use will be apparent. The anvil being secured to a support B, or a table, bench or other desired article, the nut is placed in the cavity where it may be held by the thumb and finger while the blow is struck. The anvil is of sufficient weight to absorb the blow, and if desired the nut may be placed in the cavity and cracked without the necessity of holding it therein by the fingers.

For the purpose hereinbefore set forth the anvil may terminate at the dotted line aca: in Fig. l, but when the vise attachment is present the base of the anvil is extended as shown and is formed with a groove E in which is fitted to slide the movable jaw F the upper face of which is designed to be flush with that of the anvil, and when the jaw is closed provides an extended surface when such is required. This jaw portion is quite as firm and solid as the anvil portion proper and a blow thereon will not in any wayinjure the screw.

This jaw is formed with an offset f at its upper end which is serrated as shown, and the adjacent vertical face or end of the anvil is cut away as shown at e and forms a shoulder 6 upon which the under side of the offset por- .tion of the jaw rests. This performs a number of functions. It provides for the more secure holding of small articles; the shoulder may be used to form a support for the article and it also takes the impact and prevents injury to the screw.

G is the screw. It is held in the jaw so as to rotate but not to move lengthwise. This is accomplished by means of the pin or screw 9 held in the jaw and working in an annular groove 9' in the screw as shown in Fig. 2. A knob H is castupon or otherwise held to the shank of the screw as shown in both views. The screw engages a threaded hole in the vertical face of the anvil as seen in Fig. 2, ahole or chamber h being formed in the process of casting as shown in Fig. 2 to avoid tapping the hole except fora short distance as shown, it being my aim to construct the device at a very small cost. The operation of the vise will be apparent.

Modifications in detail may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

What is claimed as new is 1. An anvil having corrugated cavities in its upper face and its edges rounded, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The device described comprising the anvil with flanged base and narrow top with cavities and rounded edges and vertical face with oifset, the movably mounted jaw overlapping with oifset, and the screw rotatably mounted in the jaw and held against endwise movement and engaging a threaded hole in the vertical face of the anvil,substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES H. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

M. MILLARD, REGINALD G. A. PHILLIPS. 

